New Distribution Center Breaks Ground in Burlington, Guilford County

Company leaders and local officials gathered in Burlington to break ground on an $860 million Food Lion distribution center, a project the governor’s office says will initially create 120 jobs in Guilford County and eventually support more than 500 positions at the facility. ABC45 and WFMY also reported the project will add more than 500 jobs over time, while WXII reported more than 600 jobs across Burlington and Guilford County.

The facility will total more than one million square feet of fresh and frozen distribution space and is designed to serve up to 300 stores in and beyond North Carolina, company and media reports say. Ahold Delhaize USA will operate the site, with ADUSA Distribution and ADUSA Transportation cited as the operating entities that will expand capacity to handle dairy, produce, meat, deli and bakery items for the Food Lion network.

Greg Finchum, CEO of Food Lion, said the new center fits the company’s growth plan and local logistics needs. “It’s another step forward in our growth plan with a new distribution center here in Guilford County,” Finchum told ABC45, adding, “Geographically, Guilford County is well positioned for what we needed,” and that the center will help “take some pressure off of our current facilities.”

Job estimates vary across sources. The governor’s Oct. 22, 2025 press release sets a phased staffing picture: an initial 120 hires in Guilford County with eventual support for more than 500 jobs at the Burlington facility. ABC45 and WFMY emphasize the eventual scale of more than 500 jobs and list openings such as truck drivers, warehouse workers, logistics and manual selection positions. WXII’s coverage and social posts put the aggregate at more than 600 jobs across Burlington and Guilford County; that figure appears to reflect a broader countywide estimate and is reported separately.

The project was first announced Oct. 22, 2025, by Gov. Josh Stein, who said, “Food Lion has years of experience feeding North Carolina,” and welcomed Ahold Delhaize USA’s expanded investment in Burlington. WFMY reported construction is underway following the groundbreaking and that operations are expected to begin in 2029.

Ahold Delhaize’s Burlington site will be the company’s fourth distribution facility in North Carolina, joining locations in Salisbury, Butner and Dunn. WFMY cited network metrics that place the company among the largest grocery supply chains on the East Coast, operating more than 8,000 transportation assets and logging over 125 million miles annually.

County officials joined company leaders at the ceremony. Melvin “Skip” Alston, chair of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, said, “Guilford County is what they call booming,” and noted the fiscal implications, saying the jobs will “increase our tax base.” Burlington Mayor Beth Kennett also praised the project at the event. Photographs from the groundbreaking are available in a Greensboro News & Record gallery by W. Marshall, and WXII posted live video and social coverage from the ceremony.